Sarah PUDDINGTON

Her last name is a very confusing puzzle. Robert Franklin Sr. was married twice. The name of his second wife, Sarah Gott, seems secure (see the article by Allnut cited for her family). For a discussion of sources on the issue, see Allnut's note on page 282.

She is included on the Quaker Ancestors page; her husband's family were Quakers.

His first wife's name I have seen as Burgess and Puddington.

The possibility that his first's wife name is Burgess comes from a lawsuit over William Burgess' will, where she is called "Sarah widow of Robert Franklin, wife of John Willoughby." But in the same document, she also speaks of her father as William Burgess, which Hall says is unlikely, pointing out that her age was apparently 47 at the time, while Burgess was 64 when he died (see Thomas J. Hall, The Hall Family of West River and Related Families [Denton, MD: Rue, 1941] : 218). Harry Wright Newman, in Anne Arundel Gentry (rpt. Westminster: Willow Bend, 2000) also does not list her as one of William Burgess's children (see 1.3-9). So, apparently genealogists have picked what makes sense from this document-that she was Robert Franklin's wife-but have dropped what doesn't-her parentage. At this point Hall seems to throw up his hands at deciding.

The other option, that it is Puddington, comes from George Puddington's will. George Puddington's will leaves "personalty" to "son-in-law Robert Francklin, kinsman James Chilsott and Augustine Skinner, each child of son Richard Beard, any 2 of brother or sister's child., coming into the country within two years; to each of grandson Neale Clerk's child., and to George, William, and Susanna Burgess, child. of Capt. William Burgess" (Maryland Calendar of Wills, vol. 1). Newman does not mention her as one of George Puddington's daughters (1.5-6).

A third option, mentioned by Allnut (282 n.29) may be Collier.

The second option seems most secure (though still only a possibility). I'm sticking with that for now, until better evidence or more evidence comes along. Know, though, that the frank answer is that her maiden name is unknown. [1]